Evangelion : The Day Shift
by nodsri
Summary: An ordinary day, another ordinary day shift..but when you work at NERV, can there be such a thing as an ordinary day? (Formatting Fixed)


Neon Genesis Evangelion : The day shift   
  
  
Time : 0750   
  
  
  
"That coffee's cold!"   
  
  
Ritsuko's warning came too late, but where words failed, reflexes took over,   
causing Misato to spray the cold, foul liquid in a fine mist onto the floor.   
Were she given to such things, Ritsuko would have smiled, but the idea of seeing   
a grown woman spew her drink all over the floor was old hat to her. She'd seen   
Misato do this often enough during her university days.   
  
  
Misato angrily slammed the coffee mug down, splashing undrinkable liquid onto   
Maya's expensive, custom-designed MAGI keyboard.   
  
  
Ritsuko slowly shook her head. Such immature behaviour from the Director of   
Combat Operations. She sometimes wondered what terrible, irrepairable trauma her   
parenting skills would inflict on the Children.   
  
  
Misato heard the whoosh first, and turned her head to see who was coming to the   
command platform. Ritsuko didn't really care, merely glancing at her watch   
disinterestedly.   
  
  
The soft bob of brown hair was visible first, then her gentle features, then   
finally, her friendly smile was visible, as Maya Ibuki reported for duty. She   
took quick note of who was present, then respectfully stood at attention and   
saluted Misato.   
  
  
"Good Morning, Captain!" Maya said crisply, hand raised to her brow in a stiff   
salute.   
  
  
Misato sighed, then replied the salute with a slovenly wave. "At ease, Maya."   
Ritsuko couldn't help but chuckle. "She's still not used to being a Captain,   
Maya. Enjoy it while it lasts."   
  
  
Maya looked around curiously, noticing something strange.   
  
  
"Senpai, where's Ichiro?" Maya asked, wondering where he went. She was supposed   
to releive him, now that it was her shift.   
  
  
"He was cracking under the strain, so we relieved him early," replied Ritsuko.   
"I've done some of the debugging he was supposed to do, but we're still behind   
schedule, I'm afraid."   
  
  
"That's all right, Senpai, I'll try to work faster," Maya said brightly, walking   
to her duty station. As she sat down, her expression changed into one of   
curiosity, then disgust.   
  
  
"What..is this? " she blurted out.   
  
  
"A gift from the Director of Combat Operations," Ritsuko said, sneering in   
Misato's reaction.   
  
  
Misato's face turned the same colour as her jacket, and she wished the ceiling   
would fall on her. "Ah! I'm sorry about spilling that.. Let me clean it up..."   
Misato frantically looked around for a handkerchief, a rag, anything to wipe   
that disgusting coffee spray off Maya's keyboard. She failed, and sighed in grim   
determination, reaching out with her bare hands to wipe off the disgusting muck   
off Maya's keyboard.   
  
  
It is my fault after all, Misato thought stoically, trying not to think about   
what she was about to touch.   
  
  
"Ah! Captain! Please, don't!" Maya protested, just loudly enough for a relieved   
Misato to stop. Maya got up, took out a white handkerchief out of her pants   
pockets, and assiduously wiped off the mess while Misato thanked the gods.   
Misato then took a wise tactical retreat away from Maya's terminal. Maya smiled   
in satisfaction, and was soon absorbed in her duties.   
  
  
"How much more debugging do you have to do anyway?" Misato asked Ritsuko.   
"Well, no telling what the Eleventh Angel did to the MAGI, so a full debug of   
the neural networks, not to mention a thorough defragmentation of the memory   
core..."   
  
  
"Well, I leave it to you then," Misato interrupted in her best imitation of the   
Commander's voice, eliciting an angry scowl from Ritsuko. "Just make sure you   
make the MAGI hate me less afterwards."   
  
  
"Huh?" Ritsuko was slightly taken aback at that remark.   
  
  
"I can never get a straight answer out of the MAGI. I try to get sync test   
reports out of it and it gives me the Marduk Institute test reports for China,"   
Misato complained.   
  
  
"It's a computer, Misato, not a mind-reader. If you hadn't fallen asleep when I   
gave the technical briefing, you'd know how to properly use it." Ritsuko   
admonished her friend.   
  
  
A slow whooshing sound interrupted them, as Makoto Hyuga and Shigeru Aoba both   
reported for duty.   
  
  
"Good Morning Captain!" both said in unison, saluting.   
  
  
"Good morning," Misato replied, as both of them made their way to their   
stations.   
  
  
Aoba sat down first, sinking into the comfort of the padded plastic chair.   
"Well, another day another dollar," he exhaled, readying himself for another   
day's work.   
  
  
"Which isn't very much when you consider the exchange rate," Makoto replied.   
"Well, serves you right for asking to be paid in American money, Shigeru,"   
Misato said smugly.   
  
  
"At least he gets paid on time, and doesn't have to borrow beer money from   
friends every month," Ritsuko said, her voice dripping venom as Misato visibly   
flinched.   
  
  
"Grocery money," Misato snarled back.   
  
  
"Like I know what your idea of groceries are?" Ritsuko snidely replied, as she   
slowly made her way to Maya to see how she was doing. Misato scowled at   
Ritsuko's hunched back. The white-coated scientist stood still, statue-like,for   
several minutes, just watching the tactical displays and the global detector   
system, neither of which showed any detectable Angel threat.   
  
  
Makoto and Shigeru were at their duty stations, staring at their work, and for a   
few moments, the command tower was quiet.   
  
  
"Where's the sub-commander?" Misato finally asked.   
  
  
"Commander's office, preparing the report for the Committee. Oh, and I've got a   
lunch time appointment with the Commander, and afterwards the three of us will   
be at Matsushiro for the rest of the day along with the First, so you'll be in   
charge of the Geofront. Try not to destroy anything while we're gone," Ritsuko   
said, smiling.   
  
  
"I wish you'd give me advance notice about things like this," Misato complained.   
"I'm serious. Don't you think I should know where the senior command is at all   
times?"   
  
  
Ritsuko nodded seriously. "This is the kind of thing that just pops up, Misato,   
you know that."   
  
  
"What do the three of you plan to do in Matshushiro, anyway?"Misato asked,   
curious.   
  
  
"There's some things we need to do with Unit 00. The rest is classified. "   
Ritsuko replied.   
  
  
"Oh." Misato wanted to protest, of course. The constant secrecy is annoying.   
"Wanna go get some hot coffee at the Level 5 cafeteria?" Ritsuko asked, as if   
trying to set Misato's mind on other matters.   
  
  
"Sure, as long as you're buying." Misato replied, as the two of them walked over   
to the elevator. "Hyuga, I'll be at Level 5," Misato said unnecessarily as her   
legs sank from view, the elevator slowly whirring its way to the floor of the   
command centre.   
  
  
Time: 0814   
  
  
  
"Well looks like it's just us," Makoto said, leaning back in his chair, his eyes   
wandering away from the tactical displays.   
  
  
Shigeru called up some music files from his personal folders in the MAGI and   
soon enough, the wailing of a guitar solo can be heard wafting through the   
command tower.   
  
  
"Shouldn't you two be working?" Maya commented, slightly irritated at the   
distraction of heavy metal music just as she was about to fix a particularly   
mangled section of the MAGI memory core.   
  
  
"Katsuragi's in charge," Shigeru replied. "So unless the Twelfth decides to show   
up today, we won't have much to do anyway."   
  
  
Makoto nodded. "The communications and tactical systems are operating at optimum   
levels. Looks like we just have to baby-sit today, as usual."   
  
  
Maya sighed. Even though the three of them were from NERV's uniformed tactical   
arm, the difference in work ethics was unbelievable. Her Senpai would have never   
tolerated this kind of sloth. She shook her head in resignation and continued   
debugging.   
  
  
"Makes you wonder, doesn't it, Shigeru?" Makoto suddenly spoke.   
"What does?" Shigeru asked.   
  
  
"Well, Misato and the Doctor. They're like night and day. The Doctor's a total   
perfectionist and Misato can be a total mess. She'd run out of jackets if it   
wasn't for me sending them to the laundry every week." Makoto commented.   
  
  
"Yeah, I heard she was a bit sloppy off-duty, but it's her life, isn't it?"   
Shigeru asked.   
  
  
"That's just it, Shigeru," Makoto replied, his voice growing more earnest. "The   
Doctor's all about efficiency. She doesn't let up until everything's done   
according to the plan. She's so driven it's scary."   
  
  
Shigeru hummed a non-commital response. "She's the serious one all right,"   
Makoto's lips drew back in amusement. "Ah, then we have Captain Katsuragi... the   
only person in NERV to have a cocktail named after her."   
  
  
"Think of it this way, Hyuga, would you rather be Doctor Akagi's adjutant?"   
Shigeru asked.   
  
  
"No thanks."   
  
  
"Then be grateful," Shigeru said with an air of finality.   
  
  
"I am grateful," Maya suddenly interrupted, not bothering to look away from the   
screen, which surprised Shigeru and Makoto a bit.   
  
  
  
Time: 0830   
  
  
  
Two schoolchildren were running along Akashino Avenue, making a beeline towards   
school.   
  
  
It was quite an effort to maintain her lead, but Asuka felt it was worth it.   
After all, what would it say about her if it was that useless Shinji that got to   
school first?   
  
  
"This is... your..fault..." Asuka said between gasps of air.   
  
  
Shinji didn't notice,but Asuka slowed her pace down a little to let him catch   
up.   
  
  
"Next time.. don't..trust..Misato.. to do...breakfast!!!!" she angrily berated   
him. Misato's latest attempt at cooking had kept them at home long after eating   
it, clutching their stomachs in pain as they fought each other over who got to   
use the toilet first.   
  
  
"I'm sorry!" Shinji gasped out between gasps of air as he pushed everything he   
had in him to keep up with her. "But it's her turn today!" he meekly protested.   
"She won't let me cook!"   
  
  
Both of them rounded a corner, the school complex finally visible.   
"Next time you play Jan-Kin-Pon with her.... lose!" Asuka yelled back as they   
raced past a stray dog that was lurching left and right. It had precious little   
time to live before City Hall's dog shooting team made their rounds.   
  
  
Classes had already started as they both made it past the school gates.   
  
  
This was going to be one of those days, Asuka thought to herself.   
  
  
Shinji glanced at his classroom window, only to see Rei Ayanami staring intently   
out the window, staring at him. No, not at him, it was more like she was staring   
through him. He involuntarily slowed down, then drew to a stop, his gaze   
captivated by the unblinking crimson of Rei's eyes.   
  
  
"What are you, stupid? Hurry up!" Asuka yelled from somewhere in front.   
  
  
"Sorry.." Shinji stammered before breaking out into a run, trying to keep up   
with her.   
  
  
  
Time: 1030   
  
  
"They kinda look like ants from up here, don't they?" Makoto asked to no one in   
particular, as he leaned back in his chair and sipped the hot green tea. He   
closed his eyes and relaxed his body, trying not to think about how many hours   
more he has before his shift ends. Below him, everyone else on the floor, the   
radar operators, the MAGI technicians, the system operators, all moved in what   
can only be described as orchestrated chaos. They all looked small from up in   
the command tower.   
  
  
"Then imagine what the view would be like from the commander's desk," Shigeru   
commented, as he idly tapped through NERV's communications lines, making sure   
they were functioning.   
  
  
There was a gasp of pleasure that came from Maya.   
  
  
"Ah! Done! Sempai, I've finished.." Maya stopped in mid-sentence when she turned   
around and saw only the strange glances from Makoto and Shigeru. She looked a   
little crestfallen when she remembered that Ritsuko wasn't there.   
  
  
"Do you want me to page her over the public address?" Shigeru asked softly.   
Maya quickly shook her head, smiling sweetly at him as a display of gratitute   
over the offer.   
  
  
"She wants it to be a surprise present," Makoto said, laughing towards the end   
of the sentence.   
  
  
Shigeru chuckled as Maya began to blush, and refocused her attention to the   
computer screen.   
  
  
  
Time: 1210   
  
  
Ritsuko looked up at the comforting patterns on the familiar ceiling, with its   
intricately carved diagram of the Sephirothic System, her eyes lazily circling   
the branch of Hod, the ultimate illusion of order. She couldn't explain it , but   
it was her favourite branch of the System, she always thought that Hod was   
prettier to look at than the other branches.   
  
  
She really should get up, but her body simply wanted to bask in the glorious   
sensations, just fot a few minutes more. She lay on her back, covered only in a   
thin veneer of sweat that was fast evaporating thanks to the air-conditioning.   
The thick shag carpet of the Commander's office felt as soft and comfortable as   
any bed. Ritsuko glanced away, looking at all her clothes that were strewn all   
over the vast room. On Gendo's desk was her coat. On his chair was her blouse.   
On various spots all over the carpet were her shoes, undergarments and skirt.   
There was the soft shuffling of footsteps, and Ikari Gendo suddenly obscured the   
view of the ceiling. Ritsuko's eyes were fixated on his soft leather shoes, and   
the immaculate cut of his pants. Gendo had already dressed, and he loomed over   
her, looking down on her, a look of disapproval on his face.   
  
  
To Ritsuko, he looked like a giant, more a force of nature than a man. Gendo's   
hands were already gloved, his coat loosely buttoned, revealing just a glimpse   
of the red tunic that she passionately tore off his tall sinewy body seemingly   
an eternity before.   
  
  
Ritsuko smiled lazily at him, her eyes half-closed in a dreamy gaze.   
  
  
"Hey," she dreamily greeted him, still floating on a blissful cloud.   
  
  
"You are wasting time," Gendo admonished, as if she was a little girl who was   
late for school.   
  
  
"So soon? Can't we just lie here a while longer?," Ritsuko asked, raising a hand   
to gently tug at his trousers cuffs.   
  
  
"There is no time for that," Gendo replied simply. "We have to be in   
Matsushiro."   
  
  
"Of course," Ritsuko replied, emphasising her disappointment.   
  
  
"Do not forget. Bring Rei," Gendo commanded as he turned on his heels and   
started walking towards the door.   
  
  
Uncaring bastard, Ritsuko sullenly thought to herself. She quickly got up and   
gathered her clothes in a frenzy, the sound of Gendo's footsteps and his door   
opening and closing interrupting silence in his suddenly-cold office.   
  
  
Time: 1225   
  
  
  
Sensei was droning on and on about the Second Impact again.   
  
  
"... interestingly, as a youth , Prime Minister Hajime used to live in Nebukawa   
too, like I used to, before the Second Impact. It used to be a wonderful place   
to live in, but it's underwater now ever since the Second Impact...."   
  
  
Which allowed the Stooges - Shinji, Toji and Kensuke to engage in a rather   
active round of instant messaging on their laptops. Shinji found some of the   
bawdy jokes almost funny, and giggled a little. Hikari's full attention was   
fixed on the teacher, no matter that it was probably the thousandth time she was   
taking notes about the Second Impact.   
  
  
Asuka was busy typing something into her keyboard, and her eyes were dreamy and   
glazed, thinking of things that idiots like Shinji would never be able to   
comprehend let alone accept.   
  
  
Rei continued to stare idly out of the window, her inscrutable expression   
tightening a little, just a little, when she noticed the activity outside the   
school gate. An official NERV car drove slowly through the gate and pulled into   
a vacant parking lot.   
  
  
Commander Ikari has come for her.   
  
  
  
Time: 1230   
  
  
A knock on the classroom door interrupted Sensei's incessant droning. The old   
teacher slowly shuffled to the door. He knew what it was about. He took his time   
to reach the door, going over the pleasantries with the NERV people.   
Shinji and Asuka were on pins and needles, packing their personal things into   
their schoolbags, ready to be called into action for NERV again.   
  
  
"Ayanami, come here please," Sensei hoarsely said as Rei obediently got up.   
Sensei shuffled over to his desk, where Rei waited, her blood-colored eyes   
following him walk across the classroom. Sensei sighed as he slowly sat down at   
his desk, and he had a few words with Rei, as Asuka and Shinji both looked on,   
anxious.   
  
  
Rei nodded, and walked unhurriedly to her desk. She grabbed her books and   
laptop, stuffing them carelessly into her bag.   
  
  
"What is it? An Angel attack?" Asuka asked, expectancy in her voice.   
"No. The Commander wants to see me," replied Rei as she packed up her   
belongings.   
  
  
"Father?" Shinji asked despite himself. "Just you?" he asked, unsure. His body   
tensed, ready to rise up and follow her.   
  
  
"Yes," Rei replied, gathering her belongings. The people from Section Two waited   
outside the door, attempting to be inconspicuous and failing miserably.   
  
  
Asuka scowled a little when she saw the total change in Shinji's expression from   
expectant, almost eager, into a look of pure hurt and abandonment. That poor   
idiot, she thought quietly to herself.   
  
  
"Ummm.. I'll ..I'll send today's homework to your apartment later," Shinji   
stammered, trying not to squirm under Asuka's damning gaze.   
  
  
"Goodbye," Rei softly said in Shinji's general direction as Asuka scowled.   
  
  
  
Time: 1300   
  
  
  
"Any plans for tomorrow?" Asuka asked Hikari. They both sat on their favourite   
bench in the shade of a large cherry tree. There was an empty lunch box on   
Asuka's lap which she quickly threw away into a nearby dustbin. Lunch was good,   
especially when it was Hikari's cooking instead of whatever it was Misato had   
packed for them earlier in the morning.   
  
  
"Respect for the Aged Day? I was planning on catching up on History," replied   
Hkari, as she took another sip of canned coffee.   
  
  
"Oh come on! You know Sensei will just ask about Second Impact again," Asuka   
protested, rolling her eyes at as she said 'Second Impact'. It wasn't even a   
meteor hitting the Earth, she inwardly muttered to herself. It was Adam. the   
First Angel.   
  
  
"Well I do feel I've been neglecting my studies," Hikari quietly said, her eyes   
casually scaning the area for Toji. She wondered if she'll get the chance to   
talk to him again. She should remind him he still has some late homework he   
hasn't turned in yet.   
  
  
"Sogo's closing late tonight," Asuka mentioned quietly, which nearly startled   
Hikari, so intent was she on finding Toji Suzuhara in the crowd of students.   
  
  
"Yes, everything's on sale till eight p.m," Hikari agreed. She saw the   
advertistements on TV for the past week, although she hadn't paid much attention   
to it.   
  
  
"So let's go shopping there! There's this dress I've been aching to get for   
weeks now," Asuka said, hopeful that Hikari would agree.   
  
  
"Well, I do need to get more dishwasher soap..." Hikari mumbled softly. "Yes,   
let's do that!" she agreed, her freckled face lighting up at the idea.   
  
  
"Five o'clock then? I'll see you at the junction of Nagano and Shizouka. Leave   
the Stooges behind." Asuka said.   
  
  
"Great! It's a date then!" Hikari said, giggling at the use of the word "date" .   
  
  
  
  
Time: 1615  
  
  
Rei finished stowing away her school clothes into the tiny locker. She closed   
the locker door and stood in the middle of the dressing room. It looked no   
different than the pilot dressing room in the Geofront. It was the same   
combination of lockers, bench and mirrors as the one in the Geofront, but this   
one, the pilot dressing room in Matsushiro, was quiet, pleasantly quiet. Rei   
appreciated the silence, which is a rare quality in the female dressing rooms   
ever since the Second Child came.   
  
  
Rei unhurriedly secured the last of the clasps of her plug suit, and pressed a   
button on the left wrist which suctioned out the air inside the suit, rendering   
it skin-tight. She wriggled a little, trying to get comfortable inside the suit.   
She made the customary final checks, making sure that the plug suit had shrunk   
properly, and once she was satisfied, she began making her way to the door.   
The door opened before she could reach the control panel. Commander Ikari   
stepped in.   
  
  
There was a brief silence for a tiny fraction of a second as he let the door   
close behind him.   
  
  
He stood before Rei, his gloved hands relaxed at his sides, his black jacket   
rising and falling slowly with each breath he took.   
  
  
"It feels ..familiar, this room..." Rei quietly said, her eyes downcast.   
  
  
Gendo raised an eyebrow in quiet surprise. This place was painfully familiar to   
him. This was where Yui suited up for the last time, the day of her tragic   
activation test. It pained him to even enter this room. A knife twisted in his   
gut every time he thought about that day, to be in this room, where he could   
swear her scent still lingered, was gutwrenching pain mixed with bittersweet   
memories.   
  
  
He took a few seconds to compose himself before answering Rei.   
  
  
"This room is similar to the ones in the Geofront," Gendo said softly, knowing   
full well that it was a blatant lie. Rei couldn't have remembered. She had never   
existed here, and he doesn't want Rei to have memories of Yui existing in this   
place. Those belonged to him alone.   
  
  
"Are you nervous?" Gendo asked, his gaze now fixed and unflinching, focusing on   
her red eyes.   
  
  
"I don't think I am," Rei replied.   
  
  
"Let's go. I'll walk you to the Pribnow Box," Gendo said.   
  
  
"I'd like that," Rei said, smiling briefly.  
  
  
Time: 1620  
  
  
  
"Don't you dare open that door!"   
  
  
Shinji froze, his hand a mere inch away from the bathroom door handle. Asuka   
stepped out of her room in her t-shirt and shorts, a towel draped over her   
shoulders. Her flame-red hair was covered up in a shower cap.   
  
  
She walked rapidly, pushing aside Shinji and closing the door behind her.   
Shortly afterwards, the sound of a running bath could be heard. Shinji sighed.   
This might take a while.   
  
  
Despite knowing better, he couldn't help himself. He simply had to know.   
"Are you going somewhere...Asuka?" Shinji asked, just loud enough to be heard on   
the other side of the door.   
  
  
He didn't have to wait long before Asuka's reply came back from behind the   
locked bathroom door.   
  
  
"I am going shopping with the Class Rep. Don't wait up now, Third Child!"   
"That's ...nice" Shinji managed to blurt out the words. "Where?" he asked,   
hesitant, before shrinking back, expecting a barrage of insults from Asuka.   
However, Asuka was feeling mellow, so she didn't bite his head off. "We'll be at   
Sogo. Maybe we'll buy you a t-shirt or something. I wish you'd have some variety   
in your wardrobe!" she haughtily said from behind the door.   
  
  
"Sorry" Shinji said, the apology reflex the best way of dealing with Asuka's   
unpredictable temper.   
  
  
Shinji couldn't see behind the door, so he didn't know that Asuka had angrily   
crushed a whole bar of soap in her hands the instant the unnecessary apology   
left his lips. There was nothing else said between them after that. Several   
minutes later, Asuka left the bathroom, went into her room, put on jeans and a   
t-shirt, grabbed her purse and left.   
  
  
That was the fastest bath he ever saw her take.   
  
  
Time: 1640 Ritsuko nodded her head in satisfaction. The Pribnow Box was ready.   
Eva 00 stood submerged in ultrapure water, the insertion tube for the entry plug   
sticking out of its back. Its shoulders were secured to the wall with steel   
brackets, which should restrain the Eva from moving around too much during the   
tests.   
  
  
"I hope everything goes well. This is our last Pribnow Box," Fuyutsuki   
commented. The one in Tokyo-03 had to be sealed off after the Eleventh Angel's   
attack.   
  
  
A voice came in over the public address system. It was the cold voice of the   
commander.   
  
  
"This is Ikari. The First Child is about to enter the plug."   
  
  
"Understood, sir. Standing by," Ritsuko replied.   
  
  
Rei and Gendo stood outside the opened hatch of the dummy plug. It was dark   
inside the plug, but when Rei looked hard, she could see the movement of   
shadows, and sense another's presence inside.   
  
  
"This is it. Remember, let the dummy pilot. Do not try to synchronize with the   
Eva until we tell you to," Gendo said, his hands in his pockets, looking down at   
her.   
  
  
Rei nodded her acknowledgement. She started to climb into the opened hatch. She   
slowly slid one leg, then the other, into the dark confines of the entry plug.   
She dropped herself into the LCL-filled plug, creating a small splash. As soon   
as she had entered the plug, the entry hatch closed, leaving her in the   
darkness.   
  
  
Rei exhaled, expelling the last breaths of air from her lungs, replacing them   
with the alien fluids that comprised LCL. The entry plug was darkened, but   
thankfully some of the status lights were on, allowing her to make out the dark   
shape that was to be her companion throughout the test.   
  
  
Inside the plug along with Rei was the true pilot, the heart of the dummy plug.   
A dummy human body. Her body. It floated freely in the LCL, not even secured to   
the pilot's seats like a human pilot would be. She saw her sister body only as a   
dark shape in the darkened entry plug, but she knew what it was.   
  
  
She knew that her soulless body was smiling at her without having to see it with   
her eyes.   
  
  
A silent minute passed. A clock on the wall read 16:46.   
  
  
"Rei?" a woman's voice. Dr. Akagi's voice. Rei turned her head towards the   
speakers, focusing her attention on her instructions.   
  
  
"Ready when you are, Rei," Dr. Akagi said. Rei shivered a little. There was   
something in the way Dr. Akagi's voice carried in the LCL that made it seem like   
the LCL was cooling a little.   
  
  
"Please start," Rei replied.   
  
  
In the control room, Gendo nodded, his eyes fixated on the still form of Unit 00   
as the entry plug slid in.   
  
  
"Connecting the dummy plug to the Eva" Ritsuko said, giving the signal to the   
other technicians to start their duties.   
"A-10 nerve connections active"   
  
  
"Dummy is active. Synchronization over the starting indicator," someone said.   
Ritsuko turned towards Gendo, smiling. "So far so good,Commander," she said.   
"It isn't over yet." Gendo said flatly. He leaned over the microphone that was   
connected to Unit 00.   
  
  
"Rei, how are things?" he asked.   
  
  
Unit 00 raised a hand in response. Its head seemed to scan its surroundings, the   
single eye gleaming with a dull light.   
  
  
"Movement!" Ritsuko exclaimed, excited. "Is it Rei, or the dummy?" she asked a   
random console jockey. Unwilling to wait, she pushed aside his chair so she can   
take a better look at the screen.   
  
  
"It's the dummy! The dummy plug is moving the Eva!" Ritsuko said, feeling   
pleased for herself as the commanders fixed their attention on the prototype   
Evangelion.   
  
  
Unit 00 moved its body forward, only to be halted by the restraints. Its eye was   
now looking at the window where Gendo and Fuyutsuki stood still, returning the   
Eva's gaze with their own withering glances.   
  
  
Through the communications lines with Unit 00, light, tinkling laughter could be   
heard from Rei, slowly growing louder by the second.   
  
  
Ritsuko scowled. "Rei, please don't distract us," she admonished firmly.  
  
  
The response was immediate. "It's the dummy, not me, " Rei said, before her calm   
tones were drowned out by the laughter. Ritsuko frowned. A soulless dummy body   
couldn't do anything other than the autonomic bodily functions. Heartbeat,   
breathing, reflexes were givens for the dummy bodies... but not laughter.   
  
  
Unit 00's right hand made a fist and hit the wall in front of it, causing a dull   
boom that could be felt vibrating through the control room. The laughter   
continued as Unit 00's left fist did the same thing, its body twisting left and   
right as if it wanted to free itself from the restraints.   
  
  
Gendo and Fuyutsuki were taken aback at the sudden rage of the Eva, but quickly   
recovered, and raced off to the control terminals.   
  
  
"It's gone berserk again," Ritsuko concluded.   
  
  
"I expected as much. Fortunately we have Rei as a control measure," Fuyutsuki   
said, as the laughter continued, drowning out whatever it was that Rei was   
trying to say.   
  
  
"Very well, switch control from the dummy to Rei." Gendo commanded as various   
frenzied technicians typed in commands on their terminals.   
  
  
"Rei, take over the controls from the dummy," Gendo commanded.   
  
  
"We're getting nothing from the First Child!" shouted someone. "Impossible!"   
Ritsuko shouted. It couldn't be, she muttered silently to herself. "Could the   
Eva itself be refusing Rei, preferring the dummy?" she asked herself, being   
careful so as not to say it too loudly.   
  
  
"Rei, take control!" Gendo said, a little more forceful this time.   
  
  
The words "I can't" were barely audible over the laughter of the dummy body in   
the entry plug   
  
  
Time: 1648   
  
  
The bracket restraints were beginning to buckle under the insistent struggling   
of Unit 00. There were several dents in the wall of the Pribnow Box. The thick   
laminated glass window that separated the Pribnow Box from the control room was   
cracked. It was purely miraculous that the Eva didn't directly attack it, were   
the glass to break, water would rush in and flood the room in seconds, drowning   
everyone in an instant.   
  
  
Emergency klaxons were already beginning to sound throughout the Matsushiro   
facilty.   
  
  
"That's enough. Eject both the entry plug and the umbilical cable!" Ritsuko   
ordered.   
  
  
"Rei..." Gendo mouthed the name to himself, looking at the Eva as it attacked   
the Pribnow box, further denting the solid granite walls.   
  
  
"It's refusing the plug and cable ejection signals," Fuyutsuki said, a hint of   
alarm now rising in his voice. "This calls for drastic measures."   
The room shook as Unit 00's fists began pounding harder and harder.   
  
  
Gendo's eyes betrayed nothing, hidden beneath the tinted glasses, which he now   
pushed further up the bridge of his nose, bringing in everything into stark   
focus. "Rei! Answer me!" he shouted into the microphone again, only to be met   
with more laughter.   
  
  
"Try to drain the Pribnow Box and inject the Bakelite. That'll slow it down a   
bit." Ritsuko ordered.   
  
  
On her command thousands of litres of ultrapure, molecular-filtered water   
rapidly drained away, leaving the Pribnow Box dry under a minute, but there was   
no followup blast of pink Bakelite plastic. Eva Unit 00 looked like it could   
shake itself free of the restraints any time.   
  
  
"We can't inject the Bakelite!" shouted one of the console jockeys. "The   
nozzle's been destroyed!"   
  
  
Ritsuko's fist banged on the nearest keyboard out of frustration, a frustrated,   
almost animal grunt escaping her lips.   
  
  
The room shook again the instant her fist made contact with the keyboard. Cracks   
began appearing in the walls. A small piece of plaster fell from the ceiling,   
accompanied by dust which made its way into Fuyutsuki's silver hair.   
Rei was in danger. All this could interrupt the scenario. Gendo felt the   
stirrings of anxiety inside him.   
  
  
"Summon Shinji, no...summon both Evas. We may have to use them to subdue Unit   
00." Gendo commanded. "Everybody else evacuate to the surface."   
  
  
"Ikari! " Fuyutsuki protested. Tokyo-03 was far enough away that by the time the   
other Evas arrived, the Matsushiro branch would already be rubble. But he never   
managed to voice his protest as a punch from Unit 00 shook the room they were   
in. The technicians were already pouring out the door and racing towards the   
nearest stairs to the surface.   
  
  
"Come on, sir, let's go!" Ritsuko said, her hand reaching out to grab the   
subcommander's arm, the other hand tighly clutching a datapad.   
  
  
"I'll stay here," Gendo tersely said, as Ritsuko frantically tried to drag a   
stubborn Fuyutsuki away.   
  
  
"Ikari, don't be stupid!" was Fuyutsuki's last words before the door closed   
behind him.   
  
  
Time: 1651   
  
  
"What the?" Shigeru starkly exclaimed in shock. His console had suddenly changed   
from a full colour topographical map of the Tokyo -3 area to a mass of red text   
on a black background.   
  
  
"What's going on? " Misato snapped into action, leaning over Shigeru's shoulders   
to look at his screen.   
  
  
"It's an emergency transmission from Matsushiro! Unit 00 is out of control!"   
Shigeru yelled, an unnecessary reflex action, because Misato was already   
standing behind him.   
  
  
"Captain, the subcommander orders us to launch units 01 and 02!" Makoto shouted,   
reading off the text message off his computer terminal. "Units 01 and 02 are to   
subdue Unit 00. VTOL transports are already flying in from Kankuu, ETA 10   
minutes!" Makoto enlarged the text message for reference, even as he refocused   
his attention on his screens.   
  
  
"All right then. Alert the pilots, go on yellow alert." Misato ordered, as she   
brought up a map of Japan. She bit her lip, her mind fully engaged on the risks.   
The subcommander was basically going to fly in both Evas into a combat zone,   
something which was never done before. To add to that, there was the fact that   
Matsushiro only had two Eva power sockets. Unit 00 probably was using one of   
them.   
  
  
Still, there were more immediate matters to attend to. "Ibuki, Aoba, try to   
establish control links with Unit 00. Take over civillian lines, use the   
satellites if you have to! Hyuga, alert Section Two. Bring the Children in, and   
get ready to launch the Evas via Route Ten on my order," Misato commanded.   
  
  
"They must be really worried if the Subcommander wants us to fly in the other   
Evas." Makoto muttered darkly to himself, his words inadvertently catching on   
Misato's ears.   
  
  
"Seems a bit...excessive," Shigeru said as he finished relaying Misato's orders   
to Section Two.   
  
  
"If you can think of anything else that can stop an Eva, I'm listening." Misato   
growled back.   
16:57   
  
  
There was a lot of static over the cell phone line all of a sudden. Asuka had to   
shout into the cellphone.  
  
  
"Hikari? It's Asuka. Listen, I can't make it today. Yes, NERV business."   
  
  
Asuka paused a while trying to make out what Hikari was saying.   
  
  
"I'm sorry for this, really." Asuka replied before hanging up.   
  
  
Shinji perked his ears at the mention of the word "sorry". He had never once   
heard Asuka apologize before. Curious, he turned his face to look in her general   
direction.   
  
  
"What are YOU staring at?!" Asuka shrieked in his face. He looked away in fear.   
  
  
The light of day disappeared as the NERV car they both rode in entered the   
tunnel entrance to the Geofront.   
  
  
  
17:08  
  
  
Misato was waiting for the Children at the feet of their Evas.   
  
Shinji and Asuka hurriedly walked to her, although their eyes involuntarily   
drifted to their respective Entry Plugs. They had already suited up, and Section   
Two had already given them their mission briefing on the way here, but Misato   
wanted to see them nonetheless.   
  
  
Misato spoke as soon as the Children were in earshot.   
  
  
"Okay, listen to me. The transport planes are going to swing by and attach   
strong electromagents to the Evas. I think that might interfere with your   
communication systems but I can't be sure. Once you start going airborne, we're   
ejecting your power cables so switch the Evas to life-support systems only until   
you arrive at Matsushiro. When we tell you to, reactivate your Evas."   
  
  
Asuka raised her hand in protest. "We already know this."   
  
  
"Well there's a slight change of plans," Misato replied, coolly. "The transports   
aren't going to land. They are going to shut off the electromagnets once you're   
a thousand feet over the Matshushiro facility. So after we drop you off, your   
priority is to subdue Unit 00 and try not to damage is too much."   
  
  
"What about the umbilical cables?" Shinji asked.   
  
  
Misato's face visibly darkened. "If Unit 00 starts rampaging out of control,   
chances are that the two Eva power sockets we have over there will be damaged   
and unusable. Unit 00 is using one socket anyway, so don't rely too much on the   
power sockets in Matsushiro."   
  
  
Asuka visibly frowned at the notion.   
  
  
"You should have 2 minutes and 15 seconds to subdue Unit 00," Misato grimly   
concluded.   
  
  
"Drop us? Just like that? Are you insane?!" Asuka protested.   
  
  
"I think your AT fields should dampen the impact from falling." Misato answered.   
  
"Think?!" yelled Asuka, now obviously upset. "This is even worse than your plan   
to catch that falling Angel with our bare hands!" Then a smirk crawled up her   
face and the light reflected evilly in her blue eyes. "You owe us pretty big for   
this," she mock-threatened.   
  
  
Misato grinned. "Oh, don't go worrying about that! I'll take care of it, OK ?   
Now get in and prepare for launch!"   
  
  
In Matsushiro, things were getting to a head.   
  
  
Rei's attempts to resynch herself with the Eva had totally failed. It was as if   
the Eva had a new toy to play with, a doll that bends itself to the Eva's   
demonic will. Rei's attempts to reach out and control the Eva was met only with   
the frustrating agony of being ignored.   
  
  
Commander Ikari's voice kept coming in over the communications systems, growing   
ever more frantic, urging her to regain control of her Eva.   
  
  
Rei bit her lip. There was only one method open to her now. She hoped Commander   
Ikari would forgive her.   
  
  
Her fingers pressed deeper and deeper into the flesh as Rei willed forth every   
ounce of strength in her seemingly frail body, determined to stop the Eva any   
way possible. The dummy body, her own dummy body, did not resist as Rei's   
fingers dug deeper, crushing its windpipe, cutting off the precious flow of LCL   
to its lungs.   
  
  
In the Pribnow Box, Gendo watched as the Eva suddenly slowed down, as if unsure   
what to do. The laughter had also stopped, and there was only dead silence   
coming in from Unit 00.   
  
  
It had stopped laughing, yet, even as her other body gurgled and trembled in the   
throes of death it never stopped smiling. Only as the light in its eyes dimmed   
and faded did the everpresent smile slowly disappear from the clone body's face.   
  
  
Rei slowly released her hands from the clone body's neck, convinced now that it   
will never harm anyone. As her fingers freed themselves, Rei stared at her own   
dead body, a slight tremble in her lips the only trace of an unindentiable   
emotion.   
  
  
Commander Ikari. His name flashed inside her mind, breaking her out of the   
stupor. Rei made her way purposefully back to the pilot's seat, swimming   
gracefully in the LCL, the current from her limbs causing her dead clone sister   
to spin around lazily, the eyes now staring ahead sightlessly in death in her   
direction..   
  
  
"I am now piloting the Eva," Rei whispered into the communications systems.   
  
  
Unit 00 stopped moving. Alone in the room, Gendo smirked.   
  
  
His scenario had not been disrupted.   
  
  
  
Time: 1715   
  
  
  
Ritsuko and Fuyutsuki stood at a safe distance from Unit 00, watching the   
assorted technicians and lackyes run various diagnostic and repair tools on the   
Eva. Fuyutsuki stood there calmly, his hands in his pockets, his tightly pursed   
lips the only hint of emotion.   
  
  
"I'm sorry this had to happen, sir. Sometimes it's unfortunate that we're proven   
right." Ritsuko said, half-offering an apology.   
  
  
"It's just a matter of trying," Fuyutsuki remarked. "This is just one more way   
that doesn't work." he continued.   
  
  
Heavy footsteps behind her, alerted Ritsuko to the Commander's presence. Gendo   
walked in a steady gait towards them, side by side with Rei Ayanami. Traces of   
LCL clung to her plugsuit, and her footprints left puddles on the floor that   
smelled like blood.   
  
  
Fuyutsuki leaned forward, his eyes squinting a little. "Well then?" the old   
professor asked, half-expecting the answer.   
  
  
"It worked," was Gendo's laconic reply.   
  
  
"You don't mean you want to put it into active service?" Ritsuko asked,   
incredulous.   
  
  
Gendo glared at her from behind his glasses, as if he found it necessary to   
strike her down for that blasphemous remark.   
  
  
"Obviously, further tests and refinements are necessary, Doctor," Fuyutsuki   
quietly said, "Consider this exercise a successful activation within altered   
parameters."   
  
  
"The next time, of course, we have to take stronger precautions, maybe take   
smaller steps," Fuyutsuki said, glancing at Ikari.   
  
  
"Indeed. Set the pilot interoperability tests first. Shinji in Unit 00 and Rei   
in Unit 01," Gendo commanded.   
  
  
"We better let them look over Unit 00 first," Fuyutsuki said. "Dr.Akagi, arrange   
the tests for next week as soon as Unit 00 is certified combat worthy."   
  
  
Ritsuko's eyes narrowed into slits, she was hardly able to believe the   
callousness of the commanders.   
  
  
"Yes, sir." she replied, tired of caring.   
  
  
  
In Tokyo-03, Misato breathed a sigh of relief as she ordered the Children to   
stand down.   
  
"Asuka, Shinji, stand down, the danger's over," Misato's voice, quietly came   
through the communications systems.   
  
  
The two Evangelions visibly relaxed a little, their shoulders slightly slumping   
down. Unit 02 cocked up its head towards the sky, looking away from the quiet   
green hills on the outskirts of Tokyo-03, not far from where the Evas fought the   
Tenth Angel.   
  
  
Two aircraft circled lazily overhead for a few brief moments before flying off   
northwest.   
  
  
"What?!" Asuka protested. "You drag us out here, for nothing?!"   
  
  
Misato's voice was anything but apologetic. "Be grateful for that. Otherwise you   
might have to fight Unit 00."   
  
  
"Hah!" Asuka haughtily dismissed the idea. "I was almost hoping that would   
happen! Too bad I don't get the chance to prove to Wondergirl who's the best!"   
gloated Asuka.   
  
  
Shinji was stunned a little. That comment was a little vicious, even from Asuka.   
  
  
"Don't say such things," Shinji quietly protested. Asuka ignored him, even as   
she burned inside with jealousy. How quickly he runs to her defense, she angrily   
thought.   
  
  
Would he do it for me? Asuka thought again. She shook her head, banishing the   
unwelcome question from her mind.   
  
  
  
Time: 1733   
  
  
  
Asuka had the pilot dressing room all for herself this time. She often wished   
she didn't have to share the dressing room with Rei, but now that her wish had   
come true, she rushed through the motions of taking off the plug suit. Hanging   
it clumsily in her locker, she hurriedly grabbed the dark blue dress she was   
planning to go shopping in. She dressed herself quickly. Even wondergirl Rei was   
better than being alone in here, where her inner thoughts can rapidly turn to   
demons.   
  
  
  
As she opened the door, she was pleasantly surprised to see Shinji waiting   
outside the corridor for her.  
  
  
  
"Are you stalking me, you idiot?" Asuka asked, masking her playful tone with   
just enough mock hostility to prevent him from developing any unwelcome ideas.   
Shinji opened his mouth to answer, but Misato's cheerful off duty voice drowned   
out whatever it was he was trying to say.  
  
  
"Asuka, it's go-home time!" Misato cheerfully said, walking down the corridor,   
twirling the keys to her car on her index finger.   
  
  
"Don't you have reports to write or something?" Asuka asked snidely in her best   
imitation of Ritsuko.   
  
  
"Well, the day shift is over half an hour ago, and we're off yellow alert, so   
what else is there to do here?" Misato asked, grinning. "Come on!" she   
cheerfully , almost grabbing Shinji by the arm, as she turned around in the   
general direction of the parking lot.   
  
  
"Hey, wait up!" Asuka yelled, as she broke into a fast walk trying to keep up.   
  
  
"Misato-san?" Shinji asked as the three of them got into Misato's car.   
  
  
"Yes, Shinji?" Misato asked as she absently reversed her car out of the parking   
space.   
  
  
"Can you drop me off at the Circle K? Today's grocery day."   
  
  
"Sure!" Misato cheerfully replied.   
  
  
"I'll walk back so you dont have to wait for me," Shinji said.   
  
  
Asuka rolled her eyes quietly, and muttered a prayer in German asking for   
backbone to the people that need them.   
  
  
Time: 1830   
  
  
"I'm home."   
  
  
"Welcome home, Shinji-kun," replied Misato.   
  
  
Shinji stood stiffly in the hallway, the bags of groceries he bought shifting   
uncomfortably in his arms. Something felt wrong. He could smell it. He could   
actually smell food cooking in the kitchen, but it was his turn to cook tonight.   
  
  
Furthermore, Misato was in the lounge, sitting cross-legged on the floor,   
watching TV. She still wore the shorts from work, but she had changed into a   
tank top, cuddling Pen-Pen in her arms. Shinji stood in the doorway, wide-eyed,   
the impossible conclusion slowly dawning on him.  
  
  
"What are you, stupid?! Get in here and help us with dinner!" Asuka shrieked,   
the sound piercing his ears, resonating painfully in his skull.   
  
  
"Us?" Shinji wondered quietly as he took small, timid steps to the kitchen,   
placing his bags on the counter.   
  
  
Shinji's eyes went wide when he saw both Asuka and Hikari in the kitchen   
cooking. There was a cake, an actual, oven-baked cake, cooling on a wire rack.   
  
  
Hikari was frying shrimp, and Asuka was wearing his apron, she was actually   
cooking! Shinji blinked rapidly, almost wishing that this was a dream.   
A wooden spoon was unceremoniously thrust into his hand.   
  
  
"Don't stand there like an idiot, I need you to stir the porridge and help   
Hikari with the gyoza," Asuka said, her blue eyes burning into his own. daring   
him to defy her.   
  
  
Shinji quietly did as he was told.   
  
  
Asuka cheerfully spoke. "This is actually quite fun, Hikari! Look at all the   
great stuff we're making!"   
  
  
Hikari smiled, a faint blush covering her freckled cheeks. "Too bad we can't go   
shopping."   
  
  
Asuka dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. "Ah, this beats shopping! Much   
more fun anyway!"   
  
  
Hikari smiled inwardly. It became clear to her that her friend cooked so rarely   
that she thought of it as fun.   
  
  
She smiled at Shinji, who was slowly stirring porridge.   
  
  
"Shinji, how was your day today?" she asked him, eager to make conversation.   
Shinji merely shrugged. For a few seconds he thought over the events of the   
entire day, trying to encompass it all for Hikari.   
  
  
"Just another day on the day shift." answered Shinji.   
  
  
End.   
  
  
  
  
Authors Notes: Short fic? One shot? Hah! Two months, more like. 


End file.
